Jet Aviation has hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony for its new wide-body hangar project in Basel, Switzerland. The new 8,700m² (93,646ft²), state-of-the-art hangar is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2018.
The event acknowledged the support of the many contributors to the project and after two years of planning, negotiations and preparation, Jet Aviation invited the EuroAirport management, government representatives from the region, local suppliers, authorities and the media to the ceremony.
The hangar will have capacity for wide-body projects up to Boeing 747, and is being built to meet the increasing demand for wide-body completions and refurbishments. The hangar will provide an additional 4,550m² (48,975ft²) of hangar space to accommodate a number of wide- and narrow-body aircraft simultaneously.
The project also extends the tarmac by 5,000m² (53,819ft²) while adding 2,000m² (21,527ft²) for shops and offices, the space for which the company has leased. Jet Aviation has also built a pathway to ensure employees have easy access to all hangars.
Rob Smith, president, Jet Aviation Group, said, “We have a long history of handling major modifications and completions at Jet Aviation, and we are fully committed to investing in the latest technologies that support the highest quality and safety standards for our customers worldwide.
“This investment also reinforces our commitment to Basel – our home base. We will create new jobs for the local community and help to further strengthen Basel as a hub for European aviation.”
Disruption to customers and employees is expected to be minimal throughout the hangar’s construction, and Jet Aviation has leased additional hangar and shop space to maintain capacity and capabilities throughout the process. The extended tarmac will also enable larger aircraft to easily approach the new hangar.
